BINGHAMTON – It's been a long time since the phrase "a logjam of talent" accurately described the New York Mets farm system.

Having an abundance of high-level prospects is a good problem to have, and it's one the Binghamton Mets hope to use to their benefit. Former first-round draft picks Brandon Nimmo and Gavin Cecchini highlight a B-Mets team that looks to defend the franchise's first Eastern League title in 20 years.

The B-Mets begin their season in Akron at 6:35 p.m. Thursday against the RubberDucks. The group of players that broke camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla., with the B-Mets includes 16 players with some Double-A experience prior to this season.

"In my eyes, at least, and I know in the front office's eyes as well, there are guys that deserve to go to Triple-A," B-Mets fourth-year manager Pedro Lopez said. "Our system right now is stacked with good players."

Nimmo, a 6-foot-3 outfielder drafted 13th overall in 2011 out of high school in Cheyenne, Wyo., comes back to Binghamton after playing 65 games for the B-Mets after being promoted from Single-A St. Lucie. Between the two stops, he batted .278 with .394 on-base percentage and a .426 slugging percentage. He his 10 home runs and drove in 51 RBIs in 127 games.

Cecchini, a shortstop selected 12th overall in the 2012 draft out of high school in Lake Charles, La., played in just one game with the B-Mets at the end of the regular season last year after splitting the season between Low-A Savannah and High-A St. Lucie.

Cecchini, a 6-foot-2 right-handed hitter, entered the B-Mets title-clinching game as a pinch runner and scored the winning run that set off the celebration at NYSEG Stadium in September.

"That's what we're all shooting for," Cecchini said. "If you're shooting for anything less than winning a championship, then you shouldn't even be playing baseball, because that's what it's all about."

Outfielders Darrell Ceciliani, Travis Taijeron and Cory Vaughn all begin the season at Triple-A. Alex Castellanos, who has experience in the majors, is also in the crowded outfielder there along with Kyle Johnson, an Eastern League mid-season All-Star last year.

Nimmo, a left-handed hitter, ranked as the third-best prospect in the Mets farm system and the 45th-best in all the minors by Baseball America.

"I think we have one of the best organizations in baseball with farm system and then the young talent going up to the big leagues and just filling in and having success right away," Nimmo said. "... There are a good players, and you are going to have to show very completely that you are ready for the next level."

Joining Nimmo in the B-Mets outfield rotation will be newcomers Gilbert Gomez, Jared King and Eudy Pina, along with Jayce Boyd, who moves from first base to left field this season.

Nimmo figures to see playing time in both center field and right field. He joked that he has to get used to playing positions other than center field because of Juan Lagares' recent contract extension with the big-league club.

"The primary reason for starting Brandon back in AA was that there's no rush," Mets Vice President of Player Development and Amateur Scouting Paul DePodesta said in an email. "We were very happy with his half season in 2014 in AA, but if we were going to err on one side — too aggressive or too conservative — we wanted to err on the conservative, at least to start the season."

Cecchini, 22, is part of an diversely talented crop of shortstops in the Mets organization, including Wilmer Flores in New York, Matt Reynolds and Wilfredo Tovar at Triple-A, and fast-rising Amed Rosario at Single-A St. Lucie. Baseball America ranked Rosario, 19, the 98th-best prospect in the minors.

"Pressure? No, man," Cecchini said. "I love competition. One thing about me — and I've always been like this — is I don't player watch.In the middle of the season, I don't look how Reynolds is doing or how Flores is doing in the big leagues. I just worry about myself, because that's all I can control."

Cecchini, who has an older brother named Garin in the Boston Red Sox farm system, batted .247 with a .328 on-base percentage between stops in Savannah (57 games), St. Lucie (68 games) and Binghamton (one game).

"He's shown a tremendous ability to make offensive adjustments," DePodesta said of Cecchini. "Last year he started in Savannah with a 234/314/340 [batting average/on base percentage/slugging percentage] line in April before hitting about 275/345/440 the final two months. Then he went to St Lucie where again he got off to a slow start before hitting 286/403/459 in his final 30 games.

"Further, he's shown good command of the strike zone and increasing power as he matures (8 homers and about 40 extra base hits last year). We're excited to see what he might do with a full season in AA, despite playing the entire season at just 21."

The infield will also feature third baseman Dustin Lawley, who hit 20 home runs for the B-Mets last season. Josh Rodriguez, who returned to the organization after spending last season at Triple-A for the Marlins, can play multiple positions. T.J. Rivera, a Florida State League All-Star before being promoted and playing a role in the championship, also returns.

Eastern League Playoff MVP Xorge Carrillo returns at catcher and will be joined with Double-A rookie Albert Cordero.

The B-Mets pitching staff features a six-man rotation — all right-handers —including two starters who finished the season with Binghamton in Rainy Lara and Gabriel Ynoa, who is on the Mets 40-man roster.

The bullpen will include returning left-handers Dario Alvarez, Chase Huchingson, and Adam Kolarek as well as right-handed returners John Church, Paul Sewald and Jon Velasquez.

TICKET PRICES: Box seat $12 day of the game, $11 in advance; reserve grandstand $10 day of the game, $9 in advance.

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